5 Oil Changing Mistakes Commonly Made

Forgetting to Check Mileage of the Car

You need to change the oil of your vehicle only when either of the two conditions is met,

You have completed a certain number of miles.

You have gone a certain number of months running the car.

Not keeping track of your last oil change can lead you to change oil too soon or too late; both of which are hazardous to the car and can damage your engine.

Choosing the Wrong Type of Oil

Using the wrong oil is the most common mistakes done by people wanting to do an oil change on their own.

You need to keep in mind the right viscosity for the season, and at the same time know whether to use synthetic oil or the conventional oil for the engine.

For warmer seasons you need to use thicker oil, for winter season you should use thinner oil.

In the winter, lighter oil is used as the oil thickens in this season.

Light oil flows through the engine smoothly and helps the engine working efficiently.

Not Putting the Oil Filter Correctly

The oil filter keeps the oil clean and makes sure that no debris reaches inside the engine.

As over time, the debris starts to collect on the filter; you need to change the oil filter with every oil change.

Apart from not putting the oil filter correctly, you might install the wrong size.

If it isn’t the right size, the oil may leak through the filter or not filter the debris; which puts your engine at risk.

You have to ensure you don’t over tighten it and damage the threading or the O-ring.

To make sure you don’t harm the filter, give it a quarter turn with the wrench after tightening it.

Forgetting to Change the O-ring

The O-ring is a black rubbery ring that goes on top of the oil filter to provide a seal and stop the oil from leaking in.

This O-ring should regularly be changed along with the oil filter.

Due to the high pressure the O-ring sometimes breaks, which is why it need to be replaced periodically.

While changing the oil ring, you need to make sure the O-ring also comes off when removing the old oil filter.

When placing the new O-ring on the filter, make sure to lubricate it properly before tightening the filter.

The lubrication helps the O-ring to survive the initial tightening of the oil filter.

Over/Underfilling the Oil

This is another common mistake that can put your engine at risk.

After draining out the oil altogether and changing the oil filter, you need to put the new oil in.

Under-filling the oil will change the hydraulic pressure and not lubricate the parts inside the engine properly; this can cause the components to experience high friction and potentially lead the engine to seize.

At the same time, overfilling your oil can cause the engine oil to foam up inside the engine itself; this will reduce the hydraulic pressure, and can even put extra pressure leading the oil gaskets and engine seals to leak.

You can see how simple was it to make small mistakes while changing your car’s oil.

It’s these simple mistakes that lead to significant problems.

Therefore, it is always suggested to get your oil changed by a professional.